


Date Night

by LittleDarlingXOX



Series: JayTim Shorts [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Black Mask (mentioned) - Freeform, Jason and Tim try their hand at babysitting, Jason is Lian's Godfather, M/M, Ra's al Ghul (mentioned) - Freeform, Villains interrupting anniversaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 19:37:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13107114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleDarlingXOX/pseuds/LittleDarlingXOX
Summary: Tim and Jason are out for their anniversary. Unfortunately, Gotham City's criminals never take a night off.





	Date Night

Tim laughed and squeezed Jason’s hand from where they were linked together across the table. He pushed his finished plate away from him. The restaurant was at full capacity, with some of Gotham City’s finest sitting at tables around them dressed in their best. Tim stared at Jason, across from him, dressed in a gray suit— one of the three suits that he owned, and wondered how he’d managed to get a reservation. Tim had a feeling the name  _ Wayne _ must have been casually thrown in during conversation with the receptionist. 

Tim’s phone buzzed to life in his breast pocket. He withdrew his hand from Jason’s and reached for it, squinting at the alert of his screen. He was aware of the waiter asking if they were interested in dessert and Jason saying something before the waiter placed down two menus and left. 

“Everything alright?” Asked Jason, leaning in towards Tim. 

Tim glanced up from his phone and huddled closer across the table so that he and Jason wouldn’t be overheard by the other restaurant goers. “Since it’s our anniversary, I have to ask, were you planning on surprising me with anything after this when we got home? Did you leave the door or any window unlocked for someone to slip it and set up?”

Jason grimaced. “No… should I have? I booked the most expensive restaurant in Gotham, I didn’t think I needed to—”

Tim waved him off. “No. Jason, you did fine, but I just got an alert from the security system I set up in the apartment. Someone set it off.”

Jason cursed, and wiped his mouth hastily, dropping his napkin on his plate. “I guess it’s a no to dessert then.”

He was already turning and signalling for the waiter to bring the check. Tim didn’t have to stress how serious a security breach was to him. If an intruder, petty thief or otherwise, broke into their place and managed to find their uniforms and connect them to their secret identities, they’d be in a hell of a lot of trouble. Batman’s disappointment would be the least of their worries if that information was brought to the GCPD.

They exited the restaurant at a hurried pace. Jason snatched Tim’s car keys from the valet, he pressed some money into the valet’s hand with a hurried ‘keep the change’ tossed over his shoulder as Jason rounded the car and slipped into the driver’s side next to Tim. Tim watched as he pulled into the city traffic, then turned around in his seat after a few minutes.

“Did you forget how to get home?” asked Tim. “ It’s the other way.”

“Gotta make a pitstop at one of my safehouses. I keep some spare weapons there.”

“Are you sure that’s necessary? It could just be a small-time thief.”

“Yeah,” Jason sighed. “Or it could be Ra’s sending in his ninjas to steal or plant something.” 

Jason pulled up and parked in front of a nondescript building. He looked at Tim. “It wouldn’t be the first time he’s tried to ruin our anniversary and if it  _ is _ him, then I’m sure as hell going to send him back a message of my own.”

“True,” agreed Tim, getting out of the car and following Jason into the building and up the stairs. He watched as Jason retrieved his keychain from his pocket and flipped through the keys until he found the right one, fitting it into the lock. “You better have something for me that isn’t a gun, though. Or a knife. If it is Ra’s men than I want to keep one of them alive to figure out what they were there for.”

The door gave way from it’s warped frame with a hard shove of Jason’s shoulder. Jason cast Tim a disparaging look over his shoulder before leading him inside the apartment. “I might have some pepper spray for you but try not to hurt yourself with it, princess.”

The apartment, like all of their safehouses, was furnished with the bare essentials. A bed to sleep on, clothing in the dresser drawers, canned food in the kitchen cabinets so you didn’t have to worry about it going expired, first aid equipment under the sink, and  _ most importantly _ a backup stash of weapons. Sure enough when Jason yanked open the doors to his weapons’ locker, the first thing that Jason found was a small bottle of pepper spray.

Jason wiggled it in front of Tim in offering, a grin spreading across his face. “Don’t hurt yourself now.”

Tim’s eyes narrowed. “Keep it up and you’ll be sleeping here tonight.”

Jason’s smile dropped like Tim had just slapped it off his face. He ducked his head as he replaced the bottle in it’s previous spot. “Right, sorry. It’s still our anniversary.”

Jason’s head tilted to the side, suddenly. “Hang on…” 

He swung one of the locker doors closed and reached around to the back side of the cabinet. Jason made of noise of triumph that was slightly distorted by his current position before he emerged with something in his hands. It took Tim a moment to realize he was holding a pair of Dick’s escrima sticks.

“It’s not your bow staff but it’s close,” Jason offered the sticks to Tim with a shrug. “Will these do?”

Tim nodded and took the escrima sticks from him, he clutched them together in one hand as he watched Jason retrieve his shoulder holster and load his guns. He couldn’t help himself from asking, “So, Dick’s been here before?”

“Only once,” replied Jason, slipping a spare magazine into his pocket.

“I haven’t been here before...”

Jason’s head jerked up sharply like he’d suddenly caught the scent of Tim’s current emotion. Jason’s hands spread out in a placating gesture. “Oh hang on, now. It was just a one time thing… the idiot was bleeding all over Gotham, so I brought him back here and stitched him up. He must have just forgotten some of his gear. What was I supposed to do, let him bleed out?”

“Of course not!” Tim snapped, more annoyed at the notion that Jason thought Tim was jealous enough to even suggest it. “Let’s just get going.”

Tim turned, leaving Jason to scramble after him, muttering curses the whole way to the car. 

Their apartment was dark and silent when Tim unlocked the door and let it swing open. They stood on the threshold for a moment, Dick’s escrima sticks clutched tightly in Tim’s hands and the reassuring presence of Jason brushing against Tim’s back. There was a click as Jason removed the safety on his guns. “Right behind you, babybird.” 

Tim crept forward into the room, placing each foot down carefully— heel to toe— trying to keep his steps as silent as possible to prevent the wooden floors from creaking. He went to the source of the intrusion first, the window that looked out onto the fire escape and shut it. He eyes scanned the kitchen and living room, but came upon nothing suspicious. Tim turned to meet Jason’s eyes across the room as he slid out of the back bedroom, shaking his head at Tim’s questioning look.

Tim lowered his borrowed escrima sticks. “Whoever broke in, they’re long gone by now.”

“Damnit.”

Tim held up a hand, calming him. “We should still do a thorough sweep of the place to see if anything has been moved or taken.”

There was a thud as one of the dining chairs was shoved backwards, and Tim and Jason jerked around to see a dark blur streak towards the open door. Jason swivelled his guns, fire off two shots that slammed into the door frame before Tim could react. 

“Jason, no!” Tim pushed past him, taking off down the hallway after the figure, Jason right on his heels. They caught him at the top of the stairwell, but it wasn’t an assassin or a petty thief that stared back at them— it wasn’t even a man, but a boy who must have been only 5 or 6 years old.

“What the hell?” Jason muttered behind him.

The boy thrashed hard in Tim’s grasp, crying out and pounding on Tim’s arms where they were locked around the boy’s torso. In the midst of all the flailing and kicking limbs, Tim tilted off balanced, falling awkwardly on his ass on the linoleum floor. The boy’s yelling stopped long enough for his teeth to clamp down on Tim’s upper arm.

“ _ Oww! _ ” Tim yanked his arm away from those sharp teeth.. “Stop it, I don’t want to hurt you.”

   The boy broke free of Tim’s hold and made towards the stairs. The thought of having to scramble down those stairs seemed like more than he was up for at this moment, but Jason saved him the trouble by snatching the kid up and flipping him upside-down. The boy squeaked as he hung upside-down, his legs pinned firmly against Jason’s chest to keep him from kicking, curly brown hair dangling in Tim’s eyes.

“Stop trying to run, kid. We’re not going to hurt you, we’re the good guys here.” Jason paused a moment to let that information sink in before continuing. “If I put you down, will you stay where you are? We just want to ask you a few questions.”

Tim slid out from under the pair until he could stand back on his feet next to Jason. The boy in his grip nodded, a barely perceptible gesture when his upper body was already swaying back and forth. Jason paused still and the boy seemed to think that his message hadn’t been received, for a moment later he hiccupped and responded with a watery ‘yes’.

Jason’s movements afterward were careful, almost gentle, as he turned the boy right side up and placed him back on the ground. He didn’t release him completely however, holding onto the little boy’s wrists, and crouching down in front of him. Tim did the same, finally getting a good look at the boy; a mop of curly brown hair that hid a small nose— dribbling with snot in the way that most little kids’ noses do— and brown eyes opened wide in fright. Tim’s heart broke at the sight, no doubt they scared the hell out of the kid.

“Hey,” Jason gave the kid’s wrists an encouraging shake. “What’s your name?”

“Bodi.” The boy responded, trying to wipe at his nose with the heel of his hand, but then remembering it was captured in Jason’s grip. Tim retrieved the handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at the boy’s nose with it. 

“Hi, Bodi.” he said, “I’m Tim and this is Jason. We’re really sorry if we scared you before.”

“S’okay.” Came the murmured response. Bodi’s eyes never leaving the floor.

“Hey, Bodi. Do you mind telling me what you were doing in our apartment? 

“Markos told me to hide.”

Tim shared a worried glance with Jason. Jason crooked a finger beneath Bodi’s narrow chin and urged his head up. “Who’s Markos, Bodi? Is he your brother?”

Another small nod. 

Tim was started to get a bad feeling in his stomach but he had to know. “Why did Markos tell you to go to our apartment?”

Bodi shrugged and picked at a scab on his elbow. “He said Mommy and Daddy were fighting and they were making a lot of noise. He said we had to go to Grandma’s house. We were walking to Grandma’s house, but then Daddy came to get us and he was really mad. Markos told me to run and hide. I climbed up the ladder and came through the window and hid under the table.”

Tim shared a concerned looked with Jason. The boy could still be out there, in what state it was impossible to know, but if Tim was certain of anything, it was that they at least had to go look for him. And they couldn’t leave Bodi.

“Okay,” Jason slapped his knees in emphasis. “Operation Save the Children is a go. Tim, you look after Bodi while we’re out looking for big bro. Bodi, is it alright if Tim carries you?”

Bodi nodded and held up his arms towards Tim. Tim sighed and clutched Dick’s escrima sticks into one hand. He hoisted Bodi up and settled him against his hip. He wagged his hand that held the sticks in Jason’s face.

“If I’m carrying him how am I supposed to use these?” 

Jason cocked an eyebrow with a grin. “You, Daddy dearest, aren’t. I’m the one with the long range weapon.”

Tim rolled his eyes, totally not down with being the appointed babysitter in this situation. He pressed a hand against Bodi’s ear as the boy snuggled his face into the crook of Tim’s shoulder. “At least give me a knife.”

“Fine.” Jason went back into their apartment and returned a minute later with two knives, one he slipped into his pant pocket, the other he handed to Tim.

“Let’s go find Markos.”

They took the elevator down to the ground floor. Some of the residents spared a few curious glances at the trio during the descent, and Tim figured they would made an odd trio— what with him and Jason in their tailored suits and Bodi dressed in frayed jeans and an oversized sweatshirt that might have been his older brother’s hand-me-downs. On the ground floor they exited the building and rounded it until they reached the alleyway that their fire escape looked out upon.

Tim nudged Bodi’s head with his shoulder to get his attention. “What street do you live on, Bodi? Can you tell me the name?”

Bodi shook his head and pointed off down the alleyway. “It’s by the corner deli.”

Saying that in Gotham was just about as useful as saying you lived near a dumpster. 

Jason rubbed at his forehead with the edge of his gun. 

“Alright,” he shrugged. “I guess we’ll just start off that way until something looks familiar.”

They ended up walking for awhile, twisting and turning through dark streets and alleyways where the only people they encountered skirted past them, never straying far from the shadows cast off the buildings. It was strange for Tim to walk the streets of this part of Gotham at night, instead of swinging from rooftop to rooftop. He did not claim to know this area especially well, seeing as it was on the edge of where Jason patrolled, but the number of businesses closed and gated shut seemed more than usual. 

In the end it was Bodi who pointed them in the right direction, finally identifying the building he lived on that sat next to the saddest excuse of a deli Tim had ever seen. Without Bodi with them, they might have walked right past it. Tim shifted the boy to a more comfortable position against his side as Jason slipped one of his guns out of it’s holster again. 

“Guess security isn’t a big priority here.” stated Jason as they stepped into the building and pushed through the door that hung ajar. There was no elevator in this building, so Tim and Jason took to the stairs, climbing until they reached the third level. They heard the shouting before they exited the stairwell.

“That’s Dad. He’s mad.” Bodi murmured, breath hot against Tim’s neck.

“He most certainly is.” Agreed Tim.

The trio stepped out into the hallway. The noise was coming from the apartment at the end of the hall. 

Jason glanced behind him and Tim. “Stay here.”

“Jason—”

“ _ You have Bodi _ . _ ”  _ The underlying meaning of his words was clear and definitely not open for discussion. Jason couldn’t focus on helping Markos if he was worried about Tim and Bodi as well.

Tim nodded and placed Bodi on the carpet next to him. “We’ll wait for you.”

Jason nodded and walked briskly towards the apartment, shaking the arms that gripped his guns loose as he picked up pace, not stopping until he crashed against the door, throwing his shoulder into it. The door banged against the wall and Jason turned off to the left, guns raised. It wasn’t often that Tim got to see Jason ready himself for running into the fray, usually too concentrated on doing the same thing himself. It left an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He realized very quickly that he did not like it.

The noises that ensued after that were chaotic and angry, overlapping each other so that Tim could not make out one word from another. He was only able to discern one voice he knew from other’s that he did not. Until he heard the overpowering sounds of gunfire, too much at once to be just from Jason, then Jason yelling quite clearly, “Go, go!”

“Markos!” Bodi cried as his brother came sprinting out of the apartment. Markos’ face was bleeding from a cut across his cheek and his clothes were ripped like he’d physically torn himself out of someone’s hold. Bodi’s older brother came barreling into Tim, arms wrapping too tightly around his waist and Bodi’s shoulders, but Tim’s eyes were still glued to the open doorway waiting for Jason to emerge.

And then a moment later he did, crashing against the sidewall, suit bloody and panting harshly. His voice was frantic when he shouted towards Tim, like he’d encountered something he hadn’t been expecting and it tore at Tim’s insides. 

“Tim, run! Go to Harper’s! Get the kids to Harper!”

A figure slammed Jason into the wall, knocking one of the guns out of his hands. Jason, even bare without his armor, grabbed the man by the shoulders and jammed his knee into the man’s gut. Another man shoved around the pair, heading straight towards Tim. Tim turned and yanked Markos’ arms from around his waist and Bodi’s from his thigh, shoving the pair towards the stairs. 

“Go! Downstairs. Wait for me in the lobby.” 

He didn’t spare a glance for them as he turned and pulled Jason’s knife from his pocket. The man raised a gun level with Tim’s chest and Tim had a moment to realize he’d brought a knife to a gunfight before he was twisting out of the line of fire as the man pulled the trigger. He lunged low and forward, coming up fast with the knife and catching the man in the gut. The man gave a startled cry and crumpled. If he made it to a hospital soon, he’d live.

Tim wanted to tear the knife from his body and continue forward until he reached Jason. He wanted to drag him with him out of this building towards safety, but Tim knew he couldn’t leave those boys alone downstairs for long. Besides, as much as he didn’t want to believe it, Jason could survive a fight without him. 

He raced down the stairs and pulled the brothers out into the night with him.

* * *

 

Tim could not blame Roy Harper for the horrified look on his face when he answered his door. By now the boys were tired, cold, and scared. Tim had had to carry Bodi the last part of the journey, the 5 year old was so tired by now that Tim had worried about him tripping over his own feet. Besides, Tim had wanted to move as fast as possible and get them off the streets of Gotham. Next to him, Markos hovered close, his hand gripping Bodi’s ankle where it dangled in the air. Tim had tried to ask Markos what had happened inside the apartment, but the boy grunted  _ Black Mask _ and refused to say any more. 

After that, Tim was afraid to ask any more questions. But, now he stood in front of Roy Harper’s door, a man that Tim knew in passing as Jason’s friend and teammate, with two boys, no Jason, and no idea what to tell him.

In the end all he could come up with was, “Jason said it was safe to come to you.”

Roy shoved back his long red locks of hair and opened the door wider. “Come on in. Lian is in the living room watching a movie. The boys can join her in there.”

“Thanks, Roy.” Tim lead the boys into the apartment and placed Bodi down on the couch next to Lian, Roy’s little girl. Markos sat down on the floor, his back against the couch.

“Lian, baby?” Roy appeared behind Tim. “Is it okay if these boys watch your movie with you?”

“Uh-huh.” Lian nodded, her dark pigtails wagging. 

Roy smiled. “That’s my girl.”

Roy gripped Tim by his elbow and drew him into the kitchen. He started making a fresh pot of coffee, scooping grounds into the filter and sliding it into place. He didn’t say anything until the coffee was brewing, hissing and dripping dark liquid into the pot. 

“So who are the kids?” asked Roy, leaning his back against the counter.

Tim shrugged. “I don’t know, honestly. Brothers. Jason and I found the younger one hiding in our apartment after we came back from dinner and he said he had a brother. It sounded like he was in trouble, so we went looking for him.”

“Well you found him.”

“Yeah, but I think we also found some of Black Mask’s men. The older one, Markos, mentioned them… I’m scared for Jason.”

“He’s taken on Black Mask and his goons before.” reassured Roy.

“He’s in civies with two handguns and knife for protection against a group of men armed with guns. And I left him there, alone.”

Roy pulled a mug down from the cabinet and filled it with coffee. He slide it across the counter to Tim, followed a second later by a dish full of sugar. “It wouldn’t be the worst situation Jason’s ever been in. And if you’re worried that Jason is going to be sore about you leaving him behind, don’t be. You know how he is when he gets something in his head. If he wanted you and those boys to get to safety it was going to happen with your say so or not.”

Tim stirred some sugar into his coffee and took a sip. He winced at the burn as he swallowed and put the mug back down on the counter to let it cool off a bit.

“He knows how much I hate waiting on the sidelines.” Tim grunted, feeling the need to vent out some of his feelings. To his shock, Roy started laughing.

Roy’s eyes were bright with amusement as he clapped his hand on Tim’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Tim, I know we don’t know each other that well, but trust me, waiting around for news with you is definitely more enjoyable than waiting around with Jay. You have not seen that man work himself up into a panic, I mean  _ man _ that guy goes stir crazy…  and I have a feeling that if you were in any kind of trouble he’d be very panicked right now.  It’s better that you’re here.”

“I know you’re right.” Tim sighed. He glanced through the pass through window that separated the kitchen from the living room. Markos had moved onto the couch and Bodi was now curled up next to him. “How old is Lian now?”

Roy scratched at the red stubble on his chin. “She’s gonna turn six in a month.”

“Wow.” 

“You and Jason are invited to the party, by the way.”

Tim smiled. “Thanks, we’ll definitely try to be there. I know Jason loves Lian.”

Roy grunted, amused. “He should. He’s her godfather, afterall.”

Roy yanked open a drawer and pulled out a first aid kit. “That cut on Markos’ face needs to be disinfected and taped up.”

Tim could definitely see how much of a parent Roy had become while raising Lian. He half expected him to start mothering him.

Roy offered him the case. “I have a feeling he trusts you more than me. Patch him up and we can get them settled down for bed. I expect you’re staying tonight?”

Tim shrugged. “Might as well. Who knows when Jason will get here.”

Tim cleaned the cut on Markos’ face, wiping away the blood and dirt that stained his face. Then together Roy and Tim settled all of the kids down— Roy scooping up Lian and carrying her into her bedroom as Tim set up the pull-out couch with blankets and pillows. He settled into an armchair by the pair and curled his legs underneath him, pulled a spare blanket over his body. This definitely wasn’t the anniversary he was expecting.

When Tim opened his eyes again, the room was dark but not entirely quite. Tim could hear voices down the hall and with a start Tim realized it was Jason’s voice he was hearing, tone low as not to wake anyone. Tim shoved the blanket off of himself and scrambled out of the chair. Jason and Roy were talking by the door, but the moment Jason caught sight of Tim he smiled tiredly. 

“Hey, Babybird. Miss me?”

Tim launched himself into Jason’s arms, gripping him as tight as he could. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Jason’s voice was muffled as he pressed his face into Tim’s hair, planting a kiss there. “I hope I didn’t ruin our anniversary.”

“Of course you didn’t. You came back.”

Tim turned his head in time to catch sight of Roy smiling and disappearing down the hall. 


End file.
